Snowed In
by foggynite
Summary: *YAOI* Sequel to 'Sometimes It Hurts'; Winter has come to the mansion and Seiji's ill.
1. Default Chapter

Archived at: http://minkland.dreamhost.com  
  
Rating: PG-13; Yaoi; Sap  
  
***********************  
  
The morning was freezing, but inside the warm mansion Shuu took the time to gaze out at the white scenery, covered with snow like icing on a cake.   
  
Mmmm.... cake.....   
  
He stopped staring and went back to rummaging through the fridge. While food was a major focus of his mind, he didn't concentrate on it all the time. There were other things he had to worry about today- February was coming up and he was stumped as to what he should buy Shin for his birthday. Anything blue or reminiscent of water would suffice, but he wanted something special. And today the cheerful Brit was going to be painting the beautiful view from their bedroom window- he had protested his preoccupation and wistful glances, but Shuu knew he wouldn't be able to resist its artistic lure- so Hardrock now had a free day to sneak off and shop. He just needed an accomplice to ward off suspicions, cuz he sure as hell hated shopping on his own and everyone knew it. Apparently, he was loud.  
  
But who to take? Ryo and Mia had gone to some ski place for the day, with Byakuen following and probably looking forward to scaring the bejeezus out of any other people on the slopes. Seiji.... um, no. They would end up in Armani or something. Touma....  
  
He hesitated, and hated the fact that he did. The relationship between he and his best friend had been rather strained as of late. Less than a month ago, Seiji and Ryo had returned from Seiji's prolonged stay with his family. While he was gone, Touma seemed to have hit a downward spiral and had taken on a rather sordid lifestyle. No one connected the two events until Seiji had calmly announced over breakfast that he and Touma had settled their differences, together once more.   
  
Needless to say Shuu had been shocked.  
  
*******************************  
  
"You gonna eat those pancakes, Ryo?" Shuu had asked through a mouthful of breakfast. Wildfire glared at him and hovered protectively over his plate.  
  
Four of the Ronin Warriors had gathered in the kitchen. It was early morning and the January sun was working at melting away the snowstorm of the last week. Another had been forecasted for within the next few days, as well as predictions of more to come.  
  
Shin puttered around in front of the stove, serving everyone else before he himself would sit and eat, like always. He glanced at the two empty seats and waited until Shuu had received another serving of pancakes before inquiring after them.  
  
"Where're Mia and Touma?" He asked with some concern. Mia was always up before the rest of them and Touma.... Well, it was expected, but Mia was a surprise.  
  
"She's still sleepin'," Ryo mumbled around his food, eager to get outside and run around with Byakuen. "She decided to sleep in today too 'cuz she got jet lag."  
  
Mia had returned from her conference two days earlier and flopped into bed, awakening the day before only to unpack with her usual compulsion for orderliness and then crawled back into bed. Ryo had been more lighthearted since her return, seeming to forget the dark tension that had clung to the house until very recently.  
  
"Oh. I hope she isn't coming down with anything?" Shin paused and began taking mental stock of their medicinal cabinet.  
  
"Nah- She'll be fine." Later, Mia accused him of jinxing her.  
  
"Alright then. What about Touma?" Torrent addressed the rest of the table with a worried eyes. He hadn't forgotten his concern for the archer, and had wondered about him.  
  
"He wasn't in his room when I passed it." Shuu growled softly as he continued eating, if a bit less enthusiastically now.  
  
"Oh dear. Did he leave last night? I don't remember hearing him?"   
  
"He's fine." Seiji stated simply, drawing their attention.  
  
"Well, where is he, then?" Shuu demanded irritably. Seiji had apparently gotten through to his friend when he couldn't, fulfilling his promise to the other three, because Touma hadn't been out clubbing since the day Seiji returned. But if the blue haired Ronin had snuck out....  
  
"He's in my room." The announcement was met with stunned silence. Seiji only had one bed, and he and Touma had seemed to seclude themselves since. . .  
  
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ryo blinked his crystal blue eyes in shock.   
  
"If you're asking whether he and I are an item, then yes, I am saying that we're together."   
  
Shuu and Ryo spluttered a bit, while Shin beamed with good cheer and benevolence. He had suspected something was going on between the two and he was happy to have his guess confirmed, since Seiji seemed very relaxed about the whole thing. The swordsman hadn't voiced his opinion over his and Shuu's relationship, but it was comforting to know that they had his approval in a way and that Seiji himself had someone to love. Touma's changes in behavior made much more sense now, and hopefully the archer found as much peace as Halo appeared to've.  
  
"But- when did this happen?" Shuu wanted to know, astounded he had missed the development.  
  
"Originally, a few months ago. We had some... problems, but we're working through them." Seiji's usually blank mask had softened almost imperceptibly, but his devotion was apparent. Ryo stared in amazement, knowing Seiji's previous views, and wondered at the turn around.  
  
"You care a lot for him, don't you?"   
  
"I love him." He stated matter-of-factly. Halo calmly continued eating his breakfast, ignoring the dopey grins that broke out on his friend's faces, but quietly smiling to himself with contentment. So their relationship wasn't perfect- it was damn near close, and he was determined to be more supportive this time.  
  
**************************  
  
Shuu straightened from the fridge-digging, frowning at the choices before him. He could try to make an omelet or something, but, for all his expertise at eating and working in his parents' restaurant, he wasn't quite that good at non-prepackaged preparations.   
  
Hm. Maybe he could hit the mall early and get something there. He would never, ever let Shin's efforts everyday go unappreciated after this misery.  
  
He trudged back up the stairs mournfully. A shower, then food. Ye-essssss....  
  
Surprised to find the main bathroom occupied, he retrieved his towel from their room, creeping quietly in and out so's not to disturb his gentle red-haired artist. He waited outside the bathroom door for a minute or so, having heard the sounds of someone finishing up with their ablutions, and almost fell over when Touma was the one to open the door, towel slung around his waist.  
  
"Whoa- when'd you rise from the dead?" He demanded indignantly, as the archer was deviating from his infamous late-start routine.  
  
"Eh." The grunt was miraculously cordial, all things considered. Shuu shrugged, dismissing the mystery.  
  
"I'm headed out to the mall, wanna come?"   
  
Touma took a moment to process what he had said and what he should respond with. No, 'fuck off' wasn't appropriate because he wanted to go. Yes, he should say something in the affirmative. Yes, there was something they were both forgetting.  
  
"Unh- dr'vewayz bl'ck'd," he managed to get out, after a moment's consideration, wearily leaning on the doorframe.   
  
"Man, I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad. If it's that deep then we're snowed in. Damn. And I was hoping to get Shin's birthday present, too." He paused to contemplate his options, then brightened suddenly. "Hey! How'd Mia and Ryo get out?"  
  
"Rrrr. Fuzzy thing..."   
  
Shuu just picked up the words and guessed. "Byakuen. Damn. Wish I could just blast the snow out of the way, maybe make a new driveway."  
  
"Ya'd be ex'cuted." Touma seemed to be waking up slowly, even after his shower which had actually made him more sleepy.   
  
"Well- either way, it's gonna be a while and I crave sustenance!" The last part was almost a wail. If ihe/i was bad in the kitchen, then Touma was a biohazard waiting to happen.   
  
"Seiji up yet?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"Nh."  
  
"Guess I'll hafta scavenge then." Shuu sighed wistfully, trudging into the bathroom and thinking of bacon and eggs and toast and hashbrowns and pancakes and waffles in syrup and oatmeal and sausage.....  
  
Touma smirked half-heartedly after him, disturbed at how relieved he felt to be in his friend's good graces once more. After the whole blow-up, Shuu had been glowering and disapproving until Seiji had broke the news to them. Touma supposed the anger had been out of concern and frustration, so knowing he had someone to lean on was a comfort. His thoughts shied away from the reason for the concern with a strong sense of humiliation. It had been so stupid of him, and even if Seiji had meant it when he said their time apart was forgotten, his lover still looked at him with that knowledge in his eyes. Knowing that even if he had been his first and only 'lover,' others had used this body for their own needs. His cheeks flushed with shame as he carefully opened the bedroom door.   
  
His own room had been neatly restored to order over a few days, leaving his mind feeling a little less cluttered, but mostly it was he who went to Seiji's room each night. His bare feet padded silently over the carpet, as he picked up a pair of sweatpants and hung his towel on a door hook. Seiji laid sprawled across the bed, one arm outflung as though searching for his absent lover.   
  
Pausing to study the pale gold hair and delicately carved features, he felt honored to have such a man in his life. He sighed like a lovesick puppy, then frowned over his own emotionality. Seiji wasn't really in to open displays of affection, so he tried to curb his enthusiasm. Well, all displays except what they did in bed, but even then, Touma held himself back like he did with everyone and tried so hard not to just shut down.   
  
Maybe that was part of his club hopping- to prove that he was in control; that his father's actions would not rule his life. He functioned normally just like everyone else. But every time, he had to keep himself there, inside his body, feeling everything even though his mind didn't really want to. He'd be damned if he let his father define his relationships.   
  
Still frowning, he perched on a window seat in the window facing away from the driveway and stared unseeing at the crystal landscape.  
  
*****************************  
  
Seiji awoke with a shiver, a cool draft gliding across his bare chest. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized he was alone in bed, which explained the lack of warmth. Half tempted to just pull the covers over his head and sink back into a warm, fuzzy sleep, he forced himself to push the covers off his legs and sit up. He groaned.  
  
It seemed like every muscle was sore and sitting up too fast had his head pounding. Sunlight was streaming into the room, as he realized it was almost midmorning, far past his usual wake up time. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.  
  
His absent lover was curled on the window seat facing away from the driveway, eyes closed with forehead pressed against the frosted glass. Seiji wasn't surprised that Touma didn't notice the cold- Seiji always had an affinity for warmth and light, while the bearer of Tenku was drawn to the cold dark of space.   
  
Alerted by the movement on the bed, Touma turned to face him, smile lighting his features and relaxing the taut expression. Seiji could guess what he had been thinking about; the withdrawn, ashamed aspect was still in his eyes.  
  
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Looks like we pulled a role-reversal today," Touma joked with a forced lightness, as he realized Seiji knew he'd been brooding over things. He didn't want the swordsman to worry about him- to have to deal with Touma's own hang ups just wasn't fair to him.  
  
"What-" Seiji meant to ask about the time, but his throat was so dry and sore, all he could produce was a wracking cough. It sounded like there was pudding in his lungs, trying to suffocate him.  
  
"Are you alright?" Touma hurried to the bed, but sat tentatively on the edge, his concern warring with the fact that Seiji hated mothering.  
  
"Water..." He had to repeat the wheeze several times before Touma could understand him, and then suddenly there was a cool, refreshing glass of water in his trembling hand. Its chill brought the realization of exactly how hot he felt, and he struggled feebly with the blankets wrapped around his legs as he tried to swallow the entire glass at once.  
  
"Whoa! Easy there, love!" Touma gave him the old sardonic grin that had been absent for months. Seiji paused in his gulping, entranced by the easy grace and beauty the small gesture brought out, like the sparkle was back in his eyes and he was sure of himself again. In that grin was everything Seiji wanted to give to him, or at least help him find, he just didn't know how. He gazed at the man he had dedicated his life to, as if he would memorize every plane of his face. Then the archer blinked, and stared down at the covers repentantly when he realized he had reprimanded him. Seiji started abruptly from his daze and laid a gentle hand on his arm.  
  
"Thank you, Touma." His voice was raspy and he grimaced as the symptoms came together. "Looks like I've caught Mia's cold. . ."  
  
"Shin's gonna have kittens." The mocking smile again. "Mia cleared out his medicine cabinet and he hasn't been out to restock it. . ." The smile faded. "Guess that's not good news for you, tho."  
  
"I'll survive." Seiji protested with dignity. "It's only a little cold."  
  
Before noon it was obvious he had a bad case of the flu. . .   
  
  



	2. Snowed In Part 2

***********************  
  
  
  
"I'm fine!" The normally subdued tones of the swordsman's voice were now raised in a hoarse cry of indignation.   
  
"You even admitted yourself earlier that you had a cold!" Shin's exasperated voice carried over the protests.   
  
Touma almost smirked as he carried the precarious tray of tea up the stairs- almost, but didn't quite because soon he would be thrown back into the melee as well.  
  
Shin had come out of his room after finishing his first watercolor of the day, only to find Shuu and Touma plotting about finding a way to get to the chemist before any more snow came down or the place closed.   
  
After that, Mother Shin was unstoppable.   
  
The patient now had on sweatpants, sweatshirt, woolly socks, hot water bottle and two blankets to keep him warm, as well as the thermostat turned up, a humidifier on to help his breathing, a constant stream of broth and tea to keep him hydrated, and the last of the Tylenol shoved down his throat. Shuu had been sent out to procure the required drugs after shoveling the driveway the entire morning, while Touma was ordered about to fetch and prepare the ingredients necessary for nursing their fallen comrade back to health. Mother Shin ran a tight ship.  
  
Seiji himself was expected to sit still and allow his temperature to be taken every hour, while being denied books and television because they might strain his eyes, and being denied music because it might give him a headache. His illness was obvious in the fact that his threats were easily brushed aside and all he could do was weakly lay there while the sanctity of his room was invaded and turned into a shrine for good health.  
  
After sleeping most of the day, he was rested up and rearing for a fight- with what little voice he had left. His feverish objections to the smothering turned to outright denials of illness as he became delirious. Seiji Date did not get ill. Seiji Date was above such plights of mere mortals.   
  
Touma sighed wearily, worried for his love, and gently pushed the door open, hoping to remain unseen for as long as possible.  
  
"Ah, finally, another cup of tea! Good- the last one has grown cold," Shin maneuvered the tray out of Touma's hands and onto the nightstand, which had been cleared as a receiving stand for medicinal aid. "Now, all we need-"  
  
He was cut off by the ringing of the phone out in the hallway.  
  
"I'll get it," He volunteered, motioning Touma towards the tea tray. "It might be Shuu. . ."  
  
As he hustled off to the hall, Touma sat quietly on the edge of the bed and surveyed Seiji's haggard appearance. The blonde was even paler than usual, but the tops of his cheekbones had a flushed look to them and there was a sheen of sweat filming over his skin. His eyes were closed and sunken, with dark bags underneath, and lines of discomfort had formed on his forehead. The raspy sound of his breathing alarmed the archer, but he forced himself to stay calm and project only serene images over their telepathic link.   
  
Hesitantly, like the touch of a hummingbird, he brushed the sweat damp strands of loose hair from Seiji's face. The usually immaculately kept mane was in a complete disarray, knotted and tangled. He wanted nothing more than to get his comb and sit there running it through those golden locks until they gleamed, but he didn't think Seiji was up to it. It was a secret vice of his, his urge to touch the pale hair whenever possible, and the bearer of Korin was only too happy to let him indulge himself, for Seiji loved to have his hair stroked.  
  
Even now the feather-light touch had his eyes blearily opening, searching for Touma. The argument with Shin had worn him out and he was tired again.   
  
"I'm too hot. . ." He rasped out, for once asking his love for help. Touma nodded and lifted him to a sitting position, then tugged the sweatshirt over his unresisting head. The dark green t-shirt he wore underneath was damp with sweat. Touma tossed the offending sweatshirt into the hamper across the room.  
  
"It's all right, love." Retrieving a wet washcloth from a bowl on the nightstand, he bathed the flushed face and willed him to cool down as if the very pressure of his thoughts could drive the fever and illness away. Seiji gripped his free hand fiercely when he stood slightly to reach for the bottle of fruit juice he had also brought up with the tea.   
  
"Don't-" His violet eyes snapped open at the movement, but he didn't finish the sentence; the eyes told of his need for the archer's continued presence.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, Seiji." Touma tried to soothe him the best he could, coaxing him to drink the refreshingly cool juice, and had just gotten him settled down once more when Shin came in.  
  
"That was Ryo, then Shuu on call waiting-" Torrent paused at the discarded shirt.  
  
"He was too hot." Was all Touma said, but his tone dared the brit to challenge him where Seiji's comfort was concerned, so Shin just continued.  
  
"Ryo said that they're going to spend the night at the ski lodge. Apparently while they were skiing Byakuen found a collapsed cave and Mia wants to explore it come light. I explained to him about Seiji and he wanted to come home, but I told him to stay." As he talked in a semi-whisper, he set about gathering tissues and straightening things a bit. "The two of them need some time to relax and enjoy themselves, although I reminded him to keep Mia bundled up."  
  
"What was Shuu's call about?" Touma questioned softly. Seiji seemed to be dozing fitfully, but still clung to his hand.  
  
"He bought NyQuil and Sudafed, but the junk-mobile's engine froze in just the few minutes he pent in the chemist's, so he's going to try fiddling with that to see if it will start and then call me back." Placing the dirty dishes on the tea tray, he motioned that he was going downstairs. "I'll wait for the call down in the kitchen so I can get it on the first ring."   
  
Touma smiled as he left. Shin may sometimes smother them, but it was always out of love and concern.   
  
Settling against the headboard, he nestled himself into the bed where he had spent so many wonderful nights over the past month. Sometimes he would wake in the middle of the night, afraid he was waking to another dream, and would lay there in the twilight listening to his lover's even breaths, tracing his stubborn jawline and delicate nose lightly with his fingers. If Seiji ever stirred, it would usually only be to throw an arm over him or pull him closer in his sleep.  
  
This beautiful being before him was his life- this was his sanity and his salvation. Seiji knew everything about him, all the sordid details of his life, his shame and his defeat, yet the Ronin who always seemed so cold and aloof with others would look at him with love and empathy, sharing his pain yet pulling him above it. He gave him new memories to, if not replace the old ones, wash away their depravity with the strength of his conviction. In his eyes, Touma was worth saving.   
  
Just that simple fact, knowing that someone could delve into his soul and want to stay there, gave Touma faith in himself for the first time in years. You could laugh to keep from screaming, smile to keep from crying, but you could never hide your lack of self respect. He let himself be a victim for so long because he didn't know what else he could be- even in the war with Talpa, fighting for his world and his friends, his bravado was faith in his armor to hide the fear that they might lose.   
  
And even then he had been in love with Seiji, the aloof warrior he loved to tease and rile. They were just kids then, almost a decade ago, wise beyond their years. By the end of the war they seemed so much older. There was the confidence and arrogance- they had defeated evil and triumphed over the darker powers- but for Touma there was the insecurity and indecision. It had taken him years to finally muster the courage to go to Seiji and tell him his feelings, and the eventual rejection had torn away everything gained by their hard won battles and life or death struggles. The self respect he had cautiously built with each victory and advancement he made with Tenku crumbled. It reminded him that, in real life, Touma was just a scrawny nobody- the fight seemed like a different lifetime to him. He had needed Tenku to finally stand up proud, but that didn't change who he was. He had built his faith in lies.  
  
He hated himself for that.  
  
He was a rational, logical person who could design complete worlds with just his fingers and his brain, but he didn't have the first clue about living in the real one. He didn't know what love was like until he lost his, the deep despair that weighed heavy in his very soul.  
  
But no more. He found his love once more, or his love found him more like it, and he would never let go. In those violet eyes he had found himself, too. They reflected back everything that Seiji loved about him, and perhaps one day he could learn to accept his faults as Seiji forgave them. He smiled. The swordsman always held himself and others to such high standards, yet he saw something in Touma that outweighed the archer's sins and let him place him among the elite few that held his respect.  
  
For Seiji, he would face any danger with a calm heart and strive to make him proud. And so, for Seiji and his faith, he would face living and continue on with his life. He was not weak.  
  
In the hall, the phone rang shrilly, pulling him from his reveries. He heard Shin faintlypick it up downstairs, and quickly checked to see if Seiji had been disturbed.   
  
Looking down, he met glazed violet eyes that were focused intently on his face.  
  
"You should be asleep, love." He whispered, barely moving his lips.  
  
"I wanted to watch you." The words were genuine and unguarded, unlike Seiji's usual wary tones. "For a moment, you looked so sad I heard a choir of angels singing just like when maman would take me to church when I was a child. They would shuffle out to the front, in their blue and grey robes, young boys like me, and they would sit so perfectly still and sing like they were in the presence of God himself but could never achieve salvation. The notes would be so pure, but mournful, crying for all our sins. . ." His voice was hoarse and almost incoherent. The tangent made Touma uneasy; his fever was probably getting worse.  
  
"Just hush, baby, and try to rest." Running his finger through the fine cornsilk hair, he watched as the eyes slowly drifted shut.   
  
After a few minutes, he heard Shin on the stairs. He came in wearing his jacket and mittens, with his wool hat in hand.   
  
"Shuu can't get the van to start, so is it all right if I borrow your car and try to get him?" Worry for the sick Ronin and the one out in the snow hummed along the telepathic link.  
  
"Sure, whatever ya need. Take it. My keys are in my left jacket pocket." Like Touma would stop him from getting his love out in the freezing cold. "Just be careful driving- the roads are probably slick."  
  
"Oh, don't worry. If I can drive in England, I can drive anywhere!" With that, he left and soon the click of the deadbolt was heard.   
  
Touma sighed and settled back against the headboard. Seiji grimaced in his light sleep, no doubt dreaming as he always did with his empath abilities. The archer let his eyes drift shut, felt his consciousness expand until it felt like his mind was outside, in the cold chill of winter. He could sense the stars overhead, nearly visible in the fading day, waiting to shine down on earth. A movement from Seiji brought him back inside.  
  
The swordsman clutched his hand and pulled him down with fevered strength. His eyes were barely open and Touma could hardly make out his words, but the intent was clear.  
  
"Lie with me."  
  
So he snuggled next to his love, too hot to stay under the blankets, and cradled his own angel in his arms  



	3. Snowed In Part 3

  
  
After a while, Seiji's raspy breathing lulled him into a semi-doze, as the fading light of the room turned into a hazy grey. His eyes felt so heavy and gritty, like the stress of the day was catching up to him in the form of an allergy attack. He snuggled deeper onto the blanket.   
  
A moment later he snapped back awake as a lazy hand slowly traveled up his leg, caressing gently.  
  
"Um, Seiji. . ." The hand crept even more insistently up his thigh. "Um. . . I don't think it would be wise-" He broke off with a gasp as sweat slick fingers stroked the sensitive flesh of his inner thigh. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "M-Much as I appreciate it, honey, I don't think Shin would-" He gave up completely as the hand began to lightly tease his shaft. Moaning softly, he cupped Seiji's scalding cheeks with his chilled hands and delved deep into the swordsman's mouth.  
  
Breaking for air, Seiji rasped, "You talk too much, love." One hand still teasing Touma's very erect penis, the other hand began to strip him with some help. "Don't worry, I'll fix that."  
  
And he did. Quite thoroughly. Apparently, even when seriously ill, Seiji had amazing stamina.   
  
Afterwards, Touma laid tangled in his sweaty limbs, head pillowed on his muscular chest listening to Korin's labored breath. Once his heart stopped trying to leap out of his body, he helped Seiji into a pair of flannel boxers and tucked him back under the covers. He carefully settled back on the bed after a quick shower, noting the bedside clock read eight fifteen. Shin had left almost an hour ago. He sighed and settled down to wait.  
  
Seiji had slipped into a light doze again, twitching from time to time and moaning. Touma supposed he was dreaming. When he started to half form words, the archer tried to shake him awake. Glazed violet eyes blinked unseeing at him.  
  
"Ryo. . .?" He mumbled, squinting. Touma faltered, finding strength only to shake his head no. Seiji continued on apparently unheeding. "M. . .Love. . ."   
  
Touma drew back a little in hurt confusion. Could he have heard right? Did Seiji think he was Ryo, and in believing so, just told him he loved him? Hadn't he read somewhere that the subconscious was in control during dreams and delirium? Hundreds of questions and doubts flitted through his skull until he sat back and rubbed his temples.   
  
This confusion was ridiculous. Just a reemergence of old insecurities over Seiji's relationship with Ryo. It was silly- he had no reason to suspect anything, but the fear haunted him. He tried to push the fear away- to doubt meant he had less than perfect faith in Seiji, which was just ridiculous. They had pledged themselves to each other, dedicated to love and trust each other. Probably it was just the thought of losing Seiji in any way possible that frightened him so. He sighed and laid back down. Too much self-introspection in one day was exhausting.  
  
"Well, that definitely killed my post-coital buzz. . ." He whispered and drifted off into a restless sleep.  
  
******************************  
  
The sound of the door banging open awakened him almost an hour later. Weakly, he searched for the clock in the dark and tried to focus on the glaring red numbers. Nine-fifty.   
  
With a growl, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and paused to adjust his night vision. He checked on Seiji, who was still slumbering fitfully, plagued by fever dreams, then headed downstairs. He heard Shin and Shuu before he actually saw them.  
  
"-wish you would get rid of that old thing! It's dangerous! What would have happened tonight if you couldn't get to a phone-"  
  
"I am not getting rid of Old Reliable, Shin! She's been lovingly maintenanced for two generations of my family. It's a matter of principle!"  
  
Touma found them arguing in the kitchen, Shuu digging in the fridge while Shin unloaded what looked like an entire pharmacy into one of the cabinets. Hn. They must have gone back for more supplies.   
  
"Hey guys. . ." He interrupted quietly. They both paused, gave him a look, then went back to their argument, which had been beaten to death a hundred times over. Wandering behind Shin, he looked over his shoulder at all the different labels. NyQuil in liquid and gel caps and the same with the DayQuil, then Sudafed, Tylenol Sinus and Flu and Allergy and PM, Tavist D, Dristan Sinus, Benadryl, then some weird stuff like Lactaid and Immodium AD. As well as some ace bandages, gauze, bandaids, splints, medical tape, and chemical ice packs. There was some other stuff still in the bag, but he had seen enough.  
  
"Jeezus, Shin- Restocking for World War III?" Well, at least Shuu thought the comment was funny.  
  
Sporting a blossoming bruise on the back of his head and a fresh cup of tea to wash down the NyQuil (Capital N, little y, BIG FUCKIN' Q!), he made his way back upstairs. Seiji had propped himself up against the headboard, and smiled wanly when he entered. The smile was marred by his flushed skin and sickly pallor, but Touma managed to smile in return.  
  
"Gotcha some stuff that should make ya feel better?" He gave a questioning grin with hesitant optimism.  
  
"Great-" He was cut off by another hacking cough. Touma handed him the little cup of the green death flavored stuff, then quickly supplied the mint tea to help with the aftertaste. Easing Seiji under the covers, he lightly kissed the flushed forehead and turned off the nightstand lamp the swordsman had turned on earlier.   
  
"Just sleep now, baby." Gathering the tray, he gently shut the door and reported back to Shin.   
  
Suiko was frowning furiously as he added all sorts of odds and ends to a giant pot bubbling on the stove, so Touma just kinda set the tray on the counter nearest the door and stealthily backed out of the room. Shuu was hiding out in front of the television, but Touma wasn't in the mood for sports, so he made his way to the darkened screened-in porch.   
  
Wriggling into his combat boots without bothering to tie them, he stepped outside in just his jeans and t-shirt. At first he shivered uncontrollably after the inferno of the house, but then the chill seemed to dissipate as his body adjusted. He couldn't see the stars right from behind the storm windows and their screens, so he pushed his way out the screen door and stood a few feet from the house, staring at the sky.  
  
The lights of the house sometimes made it difficult to see the stars, but he could sense them out there, burning so full of energy- a thousand angry explosions in the silence of space, burning themselves up until they were finally gone in a giant supernova.   
  
The inky darkness called to him, wanted to cradle him in its cold dead arms. That temptation was always there, waiting above his head, ever since he first put Tenku on. From that eternal nothing, that empty space, he drew strength. There was energy in it, perhaps not a living vibrant one like the earth elements of the others, but it was pure enough. Korin's power was the only one that came close to his, to realizing strength in the intangible. They couldn't touch their elements, like Shuu or Shin or Ryo- they could only feel them and trust that they are there. Yet Seiji's was still more tangible than his. Light itself is pure energy you can see; it warms the skin and creates life. Space, strata- its cold, freezing. Silencing.  
  
The door to the house creaked open behind him. He turned to see Shuu wrapped in his giant fleece winter jacket, looking out at all the snow as his breath fogged in front of his face. After a moment, Kongo turned to survey Touma through the screens. He moved to the screen door and had to wedge it even more open than Touma had, but he made his way outside. Touma waited until he was near to call out a subdued greeting.  
  
"Hey." Shuu returned, a little awkwardly, which made Touma wonder why he had followed him out. "Just heard on TV that they're calling for more snow. . ."  
  
"That's gonna be a bitch to get to town if we have to. . ." Touma's eyes were once more drawn to the skies. He tried to sense the wind and ice up there, the clouds waiting to release their load. "Probably won't come till mid tomorrow."  
  
"Heh. They said tomorrow night." Shuu's tone gave his opinion of weather forcasters, while Touma shrugged indifferently. After a while of breathing heavy and rubbing his hands together, Shuu finally spoke up.  
  
"You always were drawn to the stars. Even before you got Tenku."  
  
"Just like you loved to play in the mud." His tone was half-sarcastic, half-teasing. It reassured Shuu. Dry, wry, and sarcastic meant he was feeling okay. False cheer, anger, or defensiveness meant bad things.  
  
Touma gave him a sidelong glance. If Shuu was out in the cold at night without a snowball fight to start or Ryo to torture, it probably meant he wanted to talk. Unfortunately with Shuu, that could mean a while before actually getting to the point. So Touma decided to be direct.  
  
"What do you want, Shuu?"  
  
Kongo paused, searching for the right words. "Just to see if things were cool, man. Maybe catch up on what I've been missin'."  
  
"Things're cool on this end. Works fine, Seiji's more than fine, except for the whole near-corpse thing he has going on now. . ." Touma stared without seeing the sky.  
  
"Can I ask what happened? We never really, y'know, talked about it. . ." Treading cautiously, Shuu's gaze kept flickering to his best friend's face to gauge his reaction. For his part, Touma found himself wanting to talk to him.  
  
"When he first went to his grandfather's, I found myself missing him, like, everyday. And, one time I was visiting, things led to other things and next thing I knew there was an 'us,' y'know. I mean, I've loved him for years, just from a distance. A safe distance." He drew in a deep breath, and slowly let it out, watching it dispel into the night air. "Maybe it was too much, too fast. Either way, it had him running scared. You know Seiji and commitment." Shuu snorted his opinion on that. "Well, he broke things off- I thought for good. And it was just too much, thinkin' I had fucked up the best thing in my life."  
  
"So you went clubbing." Shuu could fill in the blanks.  
  
"Yeah. I 'stepped out' for a while." Touma laughed derisively.   
  
"And when he came back, he realized this. . .?"Fishing for details, Shuu wasn't happy with Seiji the more he heard.   
  
"I guess we both had some soul-searching to do. He was afraid his family wouldn't approve- they probably won't, but he says he doesn't care. He was also afraid of me. I mean- he was raised really conservatively and just very reserved. The whole open emotion thing is pretty new for him." Touma looked over at Shuu and shrugged. "But hey, I love 'im."  
  
"He has seemed more relaxed lately. Guess you pulled that stick out of his ass, eh?" Shuu managed to make it sound very naughty, and Touma blushed in the darkness. A moment of silence followed as they both watched the moon come out from behind encroaching clouds.  
  
"Just so's you know," Touma started after gathering his courage. "I told him about my father. Everything." Shuu tensed. He always had a protective streak when it came to his friends, but knowing after the fact because Touma had hidden it from him, stirred a lot of frustration and helplessness.   
  
"He seems to have taken it okay, if anyone can take that sort of information well."  
  
"It. . .upset him. But he was really supportive and understanding."  
  
"Good. I'd hate to have to kick his ass." Both laughed, and Shuu slung an arm around his boney shoulders to pull him into a bear hug. "I'm glad yer happy, bro. Nuthin' more in the world I want than for us all to stay happy."  
  
"You seem pretty happy yourself. . ." Touma grinned as he wrestled out of the infamous grip of Shuu.  
  
"Well, except for that whole van thing tonight, I am. Deliriously so, I should say."  
  
As if on cue, Shin opened the kitchen window and yelled out at them. "It's almost midnight! If you catch a cold, I'm not going to be nice to you! You hear that, Shuu?!"  
  
They shared a grin. "Guess we should go back in, eh?"  
  
"That would probably be smart. . ."  
  



End file.
